Disinfecting apparatus for water-closets.



No. 64|,238 Patented lan. 9, |900. W. RUTHVEN. DISINFECTING APPARATUSFOR WATER CLOSETS.

(Application fled'Feb. 14, 1898,)

(No Model.)

A'rnN'r risica.

VILLIAM RUTHVEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DISINFECTING APPARATUS FOR WATER-CLOSETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,238, dated January9, 1900.

Application filed February 14, 1898. Serial No. 670.215. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RUTHVEN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Disinfecting Apparatus for Water-Closets, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of disinfecting devices to be used inconnection with water-closets and which are adapted to be automaticallyoperated whenever the closet is used to discharge a liquid disinfectantinto the bowl. My invention is designed to produce an apparatus of thiskind which shall be simple in its construction, certain in itsoperation, durableand not liable to get out of order. v

Among other features of my invention I have produced a combination inwhich no valves are employed, and which is consequently more certain inits operation and more durable. Another feature is found in the factthat I have so constructed my device as to compel the fluid toreciprocate therein, thus preventing any possible clogging of theapparatus and securing a desirable agitation of the iiuid. To obtainthese results, I have made myinvention, one form of which isillust-rated in the annexedsheet of drawings, in which the same lettersof reference are used to designate identical parts in all the figures,of which- Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the completeapparatus in position. Fig. 2 is a central sectional view, and Fig. 3 isa similar view with the piston in another position.

The bowlAis of the ordinary construction and is provided with a seat B,which is of the type that is normally held raised a little by a -springor other mechanism and is ordinarily tube G, which may be screwed orotherwise secured in the head H of the cylinder, serves as a support orbearing for the hollow pistonrod J, which has secured to its lower endthe piston K, which may be of any desired construction so as to operateduid-tight in the cylinder. The upper end of the hollow pistonrod J isscrewed or otherwise fastened in an apertured block L, in which is alsosecured the discharge-tube M, opening over the bowl. Of course it willbe understood that I might make the piston-rod J and the discharge-tubeM continuous instead of interposing the block L, the only requirementbeing that the passage shall be continuous and uninterrupted` from thepiston K to the discharge-point. A coiled compression-spring N isconveniently interposed between the block L and the upper end of thetube G to normally hold the piston in its uppermost position, as shownin Fig. 2, where it is above the entrance of the tube E to the cylinderD.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The disinfecting fluidstands at the same height in the piston-rod J that it does in thereservoir C. Hence the necessity for having the reservoir located asstated above. The seat B normally rests either upon or slightly abovethe block L, so that when the seat is depressed the piston K is forceddownward to the position shown in Fig. 3. As soon as it passes theorifice of the tube E the fluid below the piston having no other outletis forced up through the piston-rod J and is discharged through the tubeM. When the seat -is released, the piston K rises under the stress ofthe spring N, and as soon as the piston passes above the orifice of thetube E the liquid flows by gravity into the cylinder D, thus charging itready for another discharge. It will be noted from Fig. 3 that thecylinder is filled after the piston is depressed below the orifice ofthe tube E and that as the piston is raised under the stress of thespring N the fluid will be forced back into the reservoir until thepiston passes above the orifice. This action causes a iiow inalternating directions in the pipe E, which is extremely desirable inkeeping the pipes open and the liquid properly agitated.

It will loe understood that my invention is IOO capable of somemodifications and that I do not desire to be limited to the exactconstruction shown and described, but only so far as may be necessitatedby the state of the art and the following claims:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with the supply-reservoir, of the measuring apparatus below the level of thesupply-reservoir, and a hollow piston-rod coperating with the measuringapparatus in its operative stroke to cut off its connection with thesupply-reservoir and to force a liquid through said piston-rod and intothe bowl above the level of the supply-reservoir, said piston-rod beingadapted to be operated by the depression of the seat, and the workingcapacity of said measuring apparatus exceeding that of the piston-rodabove the level of the supply-reservoir, whereby all valves may bedispensed with.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with thesupply-reservoir, of the measuring-cylinder below the level of thesupply reservoir, connections between the reservoir and the cylindercomprising an orilice opening into the cylinder and a hollow piston-rodcarrying an apertured piston cooperating with the cylinder and normallyabove said orifice and depressible past it to cut oft the supply andforce a liquid through the piston-rod and into the bowl above the levelof the supply-reservoir, said piston being adapted to be operated by thedepression of the seat, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination witha-supply-reservoir, of a measuring-cylinder closed at both ends andbelow the level of the su pply-reservoir, connections between thereservoir and the cylinder comprising an orifice opening into thecylinder, and a hollow piston-rod carrying an apertured pistoncooperating with the cylinder and normally above said orifice anddepressible past said orifice to cut off the supply and `force thecontents of the cylinder through the piston-rod, and operating on itslreturn stroke to force the fluid backward through said connectionsthereby flushing them, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of thesupply-reservoir C, with the cylinder D, located below said reservoirand connected thereto by the pipe E, the hollow piston-rod J extendingabove the reservoir C and adapted to be depressed by the seat andcarrying the piston K normally resting above the orifice of the tube Ebut passing below it at the beginning of its operative stroke, and thespring N interposed between the cylinder and the piston-rod, allcooperating substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with asupply-reservoir, of a measuring-cylinder connected therewith andlocated outside of the bowl, a piston in said cylinder, a hollowpiston-rod connected there- With and having its upper end reaching overthe edge of and adapted to discharge into the bowl, a spring adapted tohold said pistonrod yieldingly in its uppermost position, and a seatnormally resting substantially on the upper end of said piston-rod, andadapted when depressed to cause the descent of the piston and piston-rodto cause the discharge of a measured quantity of the fluid into thebowl', substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a`supply-reservoir, of a measuring-cylinder connected therewith andlocated outside of the bowl, a piston in said cylinder normally abovebut adapted to pass beneath the supply-port when depressed, a hollowpiston-rod connected therewith and having ils upper end reaching overthe edge of and adapted to discharge into the bowl, a spring adapted tohold said piston-rod yieldingly in its uppermost position, and a seatnormally resting substantially on the upper end of' said piston-rod, theoperative capacity of said measuring-cylinder exceeding that of thepiston-rod above the level in the supply* reservoir, substantially asand for the purpose described.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with thesupply-reservoir C, ofthe measuring-cylinder D closed at both ends andbelow the level of the supply-reservoir, the pipe E connecting saidreservoir and cylinder, a hollow piston-rod .I having its upper endreaching over the edge of and adapted to discharge into the bowl, and anapertured piston connected to said rod and cooperating with the cylinderD and normally above the entrance of the pipe E into said cylinder anddepressible past said entrance to cut off the supply and force thecontents of the cylinder through the pistonrod and into the bowl, andoperating on its return stroke to force the fluid backward through thepipe E, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof I have set my hand this 9th day of February, 1898.

ALLAN A. MURRAY, L. E. SERAGE.

ICO

TIO

